Investigation of the interaction of active packaging material with food aroma compounds

Abstract

The aim of the reported investigation was the determination of beneficial or adverse effects of active packaging material on aroma compounds in food. The effects of storage on the aroma of packaged food was characterized by a multi-sensor system or electronic nose (e-nose) in comparison to measurements with gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) using different sample uptake techniques. For the measurements of aroma compounds static headspace extraction (HSS) and solid phase micro extraction (SPME) were used for sampling. For the monitoring of food ageing and the determination of shelf-life, the study focussed on off-flavours generated by lipid oxidation in fat containing foods during storage. Of special interest was the monitoring of hexanal, which can be used as a shelf-life indicator for many fatty foods. The effect of active packaging was assessed by the comparison of food and food simulants in contact with active packaging material in inert media or conventional packaging materials during storage under various conditions. Active packaging proved to reduce oxidation and prolong shelf-life but also absorbed components from the headspace enclosed with the investigated model food. Within the study, the applicability of chemical sensor arrays for the screening of food and the assessment of shelf-life was evaluated. Hereby, measurement results obtained with the electronic nose could be correlated to the GC–MS data and therefore to the sample constituents. The evaluated electronic nose confirmed the possibility of use as a screening tool for the monitoring of ageing and quality of certain foods after careful calibration.